The present invention relates to a mechanical bottle opener. In the prior art, it is known to open bottles having threaded caps using various manually operated means. Of course, such bottle caps may be opened by hand by grasping the bottle cap in one hand, the bottle in the other hand, and twisting one hand with respect to the other in the proper direction to rotate the cap and remove it from the bottle. Often, after a short period of time opening several such bottles, abrasions are formed on the fingers and hand of the user making it difficult or painful to continue opening bottles. This affliction is common among those who sell bottled beverages at stadiums and arenas. Also, sore wrists often result from opening of multiple beverage bottles and repetitive motion injuries are also possible. As such, a need has developed for a mechanism which may be used to open a multiplicity of bottles having threaded caps without damaging the hands and wrists of the person opening them.
The following prior art is known to Applicant:
U.S. Pat. No. 5,056,383 to Halpin discloses a bottle opener in which a flexible ring includes an open end having an inwardly bent end and a plurality of projections about its inner circumference. A handle extends laterally of the band so that the band may be placed over a bottle cap and rotated to open the bottle. The present invention differs from the teachings of Halpin as contemplating a band in which the connection thereto is made axially of the band and that connection is motorized. Furthermore, Applicant""s band is greatly simplified over the band of Halpin as not requiring the projections of the Halpin band and as not requiring teeth at the far edge of the bent portion.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,207,125 to Pierce, Jr. et al. discloses an opener for screwed cap containers in which a flexible strap is operated through a complicated mechanical mechanism to tighten about the screw cap of a bottle and open it. The present invention differs from the teachings of Pierce, Jr. et al. as contemplating a simple mechanism in which a flexible band has a bent tang at the end thereof which engages one location about the periphery of a bottle cap so that when the associated motor is operated, the bottle cap may be rotated to open the bottle.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,458,027 to Rambin discloses an oil filter wrench in which a flexible strap or belt has a plurality of concentric turns with the central opening thereof receiving an oil filter. A hand loop is formed in the strap which may be grabbed and pulled to remove slack from the turns of the strap, tightly engage the oil filter and remove it. The present invention differs from the teachings of the present invention as contemplating a device which is motor operated and wherein the connection between the motor and the flexible strap is axial of the strap rather than lateral of the strap.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,704,258 to LaVoie discloses a bottle opening device in which a strap has an open end which is locked in the plane of the strap to tighten the strap about a cap which is to be removed. The present invention differs from the teachings of LaVoie as contemplating a bottle opener in which a motor is connected axially of the strap.
The present invention relates to a mechanical bottle opener. The present invention includes the following interrelated objects, aspects and features:
(1) In a first aspect, the present invention contemplates a portable device that may be carried by the user, in one preferred embodiment thereof, and which may motorize the task of opening beverage containers having a screw cap.
(2) In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the mechanism that couples to the bottle cap consists of a generally circular band preferably made of spring steel and having a distal end bent inwardly in the direction of the cap. The bend of the band is sized and configured to permit receipt of the bottle cap therewithin with the bent tang of the band engaging the periphery of the bottle cap at one location thereon.
(3) The band is mechanically coupled to the drive shaft of a drive motor with the drive shaft extending axially of the band in a direction away therefrom.
(4) In the preferred embodiment, the drive motor is mounted on a plate also having a strap designed to receive fingers of the user thereon so that the user may grasp the plate with the motor attached thereto. An activation switch is conveniently located on the plate so that it may be operated by a knuckle or finger of the user.
(5) In operation, the user mounts the plate on their fingers and a battery power supply is coupled to the motor by any suitable means. A bottle with a cap affixed thereto is grasped with the other hand with the cap inserted into the opening within the band with the tang of the band engaging the periphery of the cap. The switch is closed activating the motor to rotate the band and, with the tang engaging the periphery of the cap, the cap is rotated and removed from the bottle.
(6) In a second embodiment of the present invention, the mechanism may be mounted on a bracket mounted, for example, on a bar, with the motor shaft facing downwardly depending from the motor, and with the band located therebelow.
(7) In this second embodiment, the motor is mounted on the bracket in such a way that the motor may slightly reciprocate up and down. This up and down movement allows a proximal end of the motor to engage an on-off switch to activate and deactivate the motor. When a bottle is placed under the band and then pushed upwardly into the band, when the cap engages the mounting device attached to the motor shaft, and the bottle is pushed further upwardly, the motor itself reciprocates upwardly, thereby closing the switch and causing the shaft to rotate thereby opening the bottle using the same mechanism as explained above with respect to the first embodiment.
(8) In a further modification, the band may be provided with a stepped configuration having regions of differing sizes so that bottles having caps of differing dimensions may all be opened using the subject device.
As such, it is a first object of the present invention to provide a mechanical bottle opener.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide such a device wherein the bottle opener consists of a motor operated device with the motor mounted on a plate which may be attached to the hand of a user.
It is a still further object of the present invention to provide such a device wherein the mechanism itself consists of a flexible band having a bent tang at its end.
It is a still further object of the present invention to provide such a device wherein the motor is mounted on a bracket mounted on a flat surface such as, for example, a bar.
It is a still further object of the present invention to provide such a device wherein the band itself has a stepped configuration permitting opening of bottles having caps of differing sizes and configurations.
These and other objects, aspects and features of the present invention will be better understood from the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments when read in conjunction with the appended drawing figures.